Conventionally, a snow gliding board has an internal structure which defines its mechanical behavior and which comprises a longitudinal core and one or more reinforcements, for example a lower reinforcement and an upper reinforcement disposed on either side of this core. The internal structure of the gliding board is protected by a covering. In particular, its bottom and its top are lined respectively with a sliding base and an upper protective layer, which is visible and generally decorative.
Conventionally, this upper protective layer consists of an outer skin or film, which is made from a single material or has the form of a multimaterial complex. In general, the upper reinforcement of the internal structure extends against this outer skin, the shape of which determines its own.
In this respect, the outer appearance of the top of the gliding, board and, in particular, its shape, are often selected according to aesthetic considerations. This shape of the top of the gliding board determines that of the outer skin of the upper protective layer. Usually, as described above, the shape of this outer skin in turn determines that of the upper reinforcement.
In short, in most present-day gliding boards, the final shape of the upper reinforcement often results from non-technical considerations, whereas it influences the mechanical properties defined by this upper reinforcement.
In other words, the consideration of aesthetic factors affecting the shape of the top of a snow gliding board generally constitutes an additional technical constraint, which must be taken into account when designing the snow gliding board. In particular, once the shape of the snow gliding board is modified for aesthetic reasons, a new analysis of the internal structure of this board must usually be carried out and usually leads to a new definition of this internal structure.
Any technical study, any new development and any new fabrication incurs costs, including those associated with the reference listing and storage of different elements, albeit intended to perform similar functions in several ranges of gliding boards.
To avoid such costs, it is known to place a pad, inert or not, between the upper reinforcement and the skin of the upper protective layer. However, the hot shaping of this skin in a mold, during the fabrication of the gliding board, may be accompanied by appearance defects, such as deformations, cracks and/or shifts of the printed motifs, above the pad, insofar as this pad has a significant size.
Document FR-2 873 591 proposes to make a cutout in the upper protective layer of a snow gliding board and to place therein an insert defining a gripping zone of the gliding board. The insert material may be a rubber. In fact, it is selected to facilitate the gripping of the gliding board. For the same purpose, this gliding board has undulations for inserting the fingers of a hand, at the insert, which has a constant thickness, substantially equal to that of the upper protective layer.
Document FR-2 823 126 describes a method for fabricating a snow gliding board of which an upper protective layer includes an insert. This insert has substantially the same thickness as the upper protective layer, to avoid projecting beyond it once accommodated in a cutout made in this upper protective layer.
In document EP-0 774 280, a window cut out in an upper protective layer of a ski is closed by an added plastic part. Beyond the edge of the window, this plastic part passes below the upper protective layer and forms a pad in relief toward the interior of the ski.
Document FR-2 540 391 describes a downhill ski board of which the top is defined, in particular, by a protective skin perforated with two cutouts. At each of these two cutouts, a sandwich structure is placed, particularly a reinforcement which has the essential function of significantly affecting the mechanical behavior of the gliding board. The reinforcement of this sandwich structure extends against an outer protective skin whereof it follows the profile. In this way, a modification of the shape of the top of the gliding board at the abovementioned cutouts is reflected by a modification of the mechanical behavior of the gliding board as if it were not offset by a new design of the elements defining the mechanical behavior of the gliding board. Here also, a modification of the shape of the top of the ski board, for simply aesthetic reasons, cannot be made easily without incurring substantial costs.
Furthermore, each sandwich structure added to the board described in FR-2 540 391 is such that its fabrication mode is similar to that of a complete snow gliding board and therefore has the same drawbacks, particularly in terms of complexity and limited possible shapes.